Blank-feeding machine



June 10, 1930.

c. BARBIERI BLANK FEEDING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I." III". I

.Z ZYEn IF I Cesare Barbziera'.

June 10, 1930. c, RBIE'R 1,762,947

BLANK FEEDING MACHINE Original Filed 001;. 21, 1927 3, She'ats-Shqet 2 Cesare Barfiz'era' June 10, 1930. c. BARBIERI 1,762,947

V BLANK FEEDING MACHINE Origina'l Filed 001:. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet:- 3

10 o o o 0 o f 0 00 Mm)? mm:

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Cesare Ba i Patented June 10, 1930 PATENT OFFICE CESARE BARBIERI, OF NEW YORK, N. VORTEX-CUP COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

BLANK-FEEDING MACHINE Original application filed October 21, 1927, Serial No. 227,657. Divided and this application filed July 30 A 1928. Serial No. 296,327.

This invention relates to an attachment for cup making machines, and more particularly to an improved blank feeding attachment adapted to deliver blanks from a magazine into a centered position on a transfer device ready to have adhesive applied to the blank. This invention is a division of my application for patent for a cup machine, filed October 21, 1927, Serial No. 227,657, and assigned to the Vortex Mfg. 00., of Chicago, Illinois, assignee of the present invention.

It is anobject of this invention to provide a blank feeding machine or attachment of simplified form. adapted to automatically feed cup blanks from a magazine and deliver the same into a centered position ready to be carried or transferred into a cup making machine withwhich the attachment is associated.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a blank feed mechanism having a blank carrying magazine positioned above a table having means thereon for individually removing blanks from the bottom of the magazine into position to be acted upon by slidable members adapted to transfer the blank into a blank receiving pocket provided in one end of the table on which the magazine is supported.

It is a further object of this invention to rovide a blank feed machine embracing a blank holding magazine from which the lowermost blank is adapted to be automatically removed by roller means and then advanced between feed rollers into a position wherein reciprocating members in a grooved table are adapted to advance the blank into a blank centering pocket provided in one end of the table.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a blank feeding attachment adapted for use on cup making machines, said attachment comprising a slotted table having a blank receiving pocket in one end thereof and, furthermore, provided with parallel slots in which reciprocating members are engaged for the purpose of pushing blanks which have been individually removed from a magazine on said table into a centered position within the pocket which is completed when the ends of the reciprocating members reach their outermost position.

. Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of an improved blank feeding attachment embodying the principles of this inventlon and shown in ooacting relation with the gluing and transfer mechanisms of a cup forming machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical detail section taken on line 11-11 of Fig ure 1, disclosing details of the blank feeding mechanism.-

Fi ure 3 is a detail plan view of the blank feed table with the blank holding magazine removed.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical section taken on line IV-IV of Figure 1, showing the inner end of the blank feed table and the blank feed rollers associated therewith.

Figure 5 is afragmentary side elevation of the blank feed device taken on line V-V of Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings:

The improved blankfeeding machine or attachment embodying the present invention is adaptable for use in connection with cup forming machines to feed sector-shaped paper cup blanks from a magazine and advance the blanks one at a time from the bottom of the magazine into a centered position at one end of a feed table and into engagement with a blank transfer device to be gripped thereby referred to. The cup forming machine consists briefly of a metal framework compmsing a table or platform 1 above which a rotatable spider 2 is mounted for carrying a rotatable cup former or mandrel 3 provided with pneumatic gripper apertures 4 to permit a cup blank fed thereto to be pneumatically gripped to facilitate forming of the blank into a cup around the mandrel. Blanks are adapted to be transferred by a transfer device 5 from a centered position above an adhesive stamping pad 6 to the mandrel 3 when the same is in a blank receiving position. The adhesive applying pad 6 forms part of a glue supply mechanism represented as a whole by the reference numeral 7 and connected to receive a drive from the machine. The blank transfer device 5 is also properly connected to be operated from the machine.

The apparatus for feedin a blank into a centered position above the a hesive applying device 6 will now be described. Rigidly secured to one side of the table 1 is an auxiliary table 8 having mounted thereon a casting or framework 9, having side plates or brackets 10 integrally formed thereon and projecting outwardly above the upper edge of the casting 9. Connecting the upper outer ends of the bracket plates 10 is a transverse bar 11 parallel to a second bar 12, supported on the inner edges ofthe bracket plates 10. Secured upon the cross bars 11 and 12 is a table consisting of a plurality of guide boards 13, 14, 15 and 16 which are of different lengths and. are spaced apart to afford a plurality of parallel guide grooves 17. The outer ends of the guide boards 13 to 16, inclusive, are placed in alignment with each other flush with the outer edge of the cross bar 11. The inner end of the board 13 is squared as at 18, while the inner end of the board 14 is provided with a notch affording stop edges 19 and 20. The inner end of the board 15 is formed with a curved stop edge 21 and is a continuation of the are forming the stop edge 20. The board 16 is longer than the other guide boards and has one corner cut away to afford a stop edge 22. Slidably mounted in the grooves 17 are three blank feed and centering bars 23, 24 and 25. The outer end of the bars 23, 24 and 25 are in alignment and are secured to a transverse plate or bar 26 having a downwardly A directed arm 27 secured thereto (Figure 2).

The inner end of the centering bar 23 has one corner cut off to form an inclined edge 28 adapted to be aligned withthe short edge 19 of the board 14 when the bar 23 is moved into its innermost position. The inner end of the bar 24 is provided with an arc-shaped edge 29 adapted when the bar 24 is in its innermost position to register with the curved edges 20 and 21 of the boards 14 and 15, respectively. The inner end of the bar 25 is provided With an angular notch 30 adapted when the bar 25 is pushed inwardly to register with the edges 21 and 22. The three bars 23, 24 and 25 are also suported by a transverse plate 31 mounted on the bracket plates 10. The pusher bars 23, 24 and 25 are slightly thicker than the guide boards 13 to 16, to permit the ends of said bars to engage against the edge of an advanced cup blank. When the blank pusher bars 23, 24 and 25 are simultaneously pushed inwardly, a cup blank is adapted to be advanced into a centered position seated in a recess or pocket formed by the edges 28, 19, 20, 29, 21, 30 and 22.

Secured upon the top of the table boards 13 and 16 are a pair of end flanges 31 which are integrally formed on the sides of a blank holding magazine 32 having a plurality of guide posts 33 between which a stack of blanks are adapted to be held. The bottom of the.

magazine 32 is open to permit the lowermost blank to rest upon a curved feed.pad 34 supported on and extending only part way around theperiphery of a blank discharge roller 35 mounted on a shaft 36, the ends of which are j ournalled in the bracket plates 10. The feed pad 34 is divided into sections to permit .the blank feed bars 23, 24 and 25 to slide in their respective guide grooves 17 A transverse cam shaft 37 is journalled in suitable bearings supported on the machine framework and-said shaft is adapted to receive a drive from the'cup forming machine driving mechanism. Mounted on the cam shaft 37 is a sprocket wheel 38 around which an endless chain 39 is engaged. The chain 39 is also trained around a sprocket wheel 40 mounted upon a shaft 41 journalled in the bracket plates 10. Mounted on the shaft 41 to the outside of one of the bracket plates 10 is a gear 42 which meshes with a large gear 43 secured onthe outer end of the shaft 36 to permit a drive to be imparted to the blank discharge roller 35. Also secured on the shaft 36 adjacent the large gear 43 is a smaller gear 44 which meshes with a pinion 45. The pinion 45 is mounted on the outer end of a stub shaft 46 journalled in a bearing formed on the end of the bracket plates 10. Mounted on the same stub shaft 46 adjacent the bracket plate 10 is a large gear 47 meshing with a pinion 48 secured on the end of the lower blank feed shaft 49. A grooved lower blank feed roller 50 is mounted on the lower feed shaft 49. Meshing with the lower pinion 48 is an upper pinion 51 which is supported on the outer end of an upper feed shaft 52 projecting through slots in the bracket plates 10 and having a grooved upper blank feed roller 53 mounted thereon. The projecting ends of the upper roller shaft 52 are journalled in bearings 54 supported on the ends of a pair of arms 55 pivoted at 56 on the sides of the bracket plates 10. The two bearings 54 are connected by a transverse bar 57.

- thereby when mined times to grip a blank advanced bars 23, 24 and 25, and by the supported byithe :brac

A cup blank discharged from t'he bottom of the magazine by the pads 34 of the discharge roller 35, is advanced between two feed rollers and 53 which act to advance the blank beyond the. ends of the bars 23, 24'

and '25, with certain of the edges of-said blankpositioned adjacent the edges 28, 29 and 30 of said centeringbars to be engaged said bars are moved inwardly with respect to the blank feed table. Referring to Figure 2, the lower end of the arm 27 has pivoted thereon one end of a link 58, the other end being pivoted tojone arm of a bell-crank 59,;which is ivoted on a shaft et vplates 10. Pivoted on the second arm of the-bell-crank 59 is the upper end of a connecting rod or bar 61, the lower end of which is pivoted to one end of a lever 62. The other end of the lever 62 is pivoted to a bracket secured to the bottom of the auxiliary table 8. A rollor 63 is carried on one end of the lever 62, and said roller is positioned to coact wit the periphery of a control cam 64 secured on the shaft 37. p

The cam 64 serves to cause operation of the members 61, 59 and- 58, (Figure 2), thereby causing the blank advancing bars 23, 24 and 25 to be pushed inwardly to engage against a partly advanced blank to move sai blank beneath a heated plate 65 pivoted along one of its side edges to the table board 16. An electric heatin element 66 is supported on the heating plate 65 and is adapted to be connected with a source of electrical energy.

The feed bars 23, 24 and 25 act to push a cup blank beneath the heated plate 65 and onto the blank transfer device 5 against centering stops 67 A blank gripper 68 is pivotally mounted upon the'transfer: device 5 and is adapted to be operated at predeterto-hold the same in a centered position upon the transfer device. transfer device and the gripper carr 1e thereby, form no part of the present invention and are described in detail in applicants earlier patent hereinbefore referred to. The blank which is advanced upon the transfer device 5 is permitted to have the advanced curved edge thereof. come incontact' with the stop 67 when the remaining edges of the blank are suflicientlyadvanced by the centering bars 23, 24 and 25 to permit the blankto seat in a blank centering pocket which is formed by the inner edges of the edges 20, 21 and 22 of the boards 14, 15 and 16, respectively. When a blank is moved into a centered position upon the transfer device 5, two of the edges of'said blank are positioned in the field of operation of the adhesive stamping pad 6, to permit strips of :ulhesivc to be stamped along two of the 51, (Figure 5).

The mechanisms for operating the. I

' d which the blank pusher bars 23, 24, and 25 margins of theunder side of the centered blank.

After a centered blank has been stamped with adhesive the blank transfer device 5 is operated to swing toward the cup forming machine and deliver the adhesived blank to the forming mandrel 3 which is adapted to pneumatically grip the blank as the gripper mechanism 68 of the transfer device is released. Due to the effect of the heated plate 65, a centered blank is heated so that i when the adhesive stamping pad 6 stamps h the cup forming machine will be given since they are specifically illustrated and described in my earlier patent hereinbefore mentioned.

The operation of the blank feeding attachment of this invention will now be brief- 1y described. The blanks which are of a form d to fit within the magazine 32, are carried in a stack in said magazine between the guide posts 33 and'are supported upon the table boards 14 and 15 with the lowermost blank positioned over the discharge roller 35. The roller 35 is adapted to be rotated by the gears 42 and 43 whichare driven from the shaft 41. With the rotation of the roller 35, the pad 34 thereon is brought into frictional contact with the lowermost blank which is thus discharged from vanced between the feed rollers 50 and 53 which are operated by the gears 47 48 and The rollers 50 and 53 adinto a position over the inboards 14 and 15 after Vance the blank ner ends of the table link 58 to cause the centeringbars 23, 24-and the magazine 32 and ad- 25 to be slidably advanced into contact with I the the trailing edges of blank to push said blank into contact with the centering stops on the transfer device 5. In this advanced position of the blank the edges thereof are adapted to register With the edges 19, 20, 21 and 22 of the table boards so that the blank is properly centered in the pocket formed by said table boards and by the edges 28, 29 and 30 of the centering bars 23,24 and 25.

The blank is thus centered beneath the heated plate 65 and partially projects beyond the edges of the head of the transfer device into the field of operation of the adhesive stamping pad 6, ready to have adhesive stamped on two margins of the under surface thereof. After the centered blank has been stamped with adhesive the transfer device 5 is operated to transfer the adhesived blank to the cup forming mandrel 3 of the machine to' permit the blank to be pneumatically gripped and wound around the mandrel to forma cup.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described the combination with a slotted table having a centering recess in one end thereof, of a blank holding'magazine mounted thereon, roller means for discharging a blank from said magazine, a plurality of bars slidably mounted in said slotted table and having the ends thereof shaped to complementally fit the edges of a blank, and means for simultaneously operating said bars to cause the same to engage the discharged blank and advance the same into a centered position in said recess.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a blank holding magazine, of a slotted table supporting the same with one end of the table shaped to afiord a centering recess complemental in shape to the contour of a blank, a plurality of bars slidably mounted in said table with the inner ends of said bars shaped to engage different edges of a blank which is to be advanced, means for discharging a blank from said magazine, roller devices for advancing the discharged blank beyond the ends of said bars, and means for operating said bars to cause the same to engage the advanced blank and push the same into a centered position in said centering recess.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combinatlon with a blank transfer device, of a slotted table having a blank centering ,recess formed therein, a blank holding magazine on said table, roller means for discharging a blank from said magazine and partially advancing said blank, a bar slidably-mounted 1n sa1d table, cam. operated means for actuatmg sa d bars to cause the same to engage and push the advanced blank onto said transfer device and into the table centering recess and means for actuating said transfer device to cause the same to remove the cenzelljid blank from the centering recess of said 4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a blank holding maga zme, of a transfer device adapted to receive a blank, gripper means mounted thereon, stop members on said transfer device, a slotted table beneath said magazine having a blank centering recess formed therein, bars slidably mounted in said table, roller means for discharging a blank from said magazine, cam controlled means for operating said bars to cause the same to push advanced blanks onto said transfer device into engagement with said stops to seat the blank in said centering shape to the contour of the blanks to be advanced over said table, a plurality ofbars slidably mounted between said boards with the inner ends ofsaid bars shaped differently and adapted when advanced to push a blank into the centering pocket of said table with the ends of said bars registering with the inner edges of said boards to complete the forming of said centering pocket.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a blank supporting table comprising a plurality of shaped boards having the inner edges thereof shaped differently to afford a blank centering pocket, bars slidably mounted in the slot-s of said table with said bars having the inner ends shaped to fill the gap of said centering pocket when said bars are advanced to push a blank into a centering position in said pocket.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a blank transfer device, of blank centering stops mounted thereon, a slotted table having a blank centering pocket formed in one end thereof and coacting with said blank centering stops to form a centering pocket complemental in shape to the blank fed over said table, slidable bars mounted in said table, means for actuating said bars to cause the same to engage a blank and push the same over said transfer device into engagement with said centering stops and in register with the centering pocket, said bars having the inner ends thereof shaped to complete the contour of the pocket when said bars are advanced.

8. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with a blank transfer device, of-

a blank supporting table, said transfer device and table being shaped to afford a blank centering recess therebetween when the blank transfer device is in normalposition, slidable bars in said table for advancing a blank longitudinally over said table into said blank centering recess and partly projected over said transfer device, said bars having the ends thereof shaped to complete the contour of said .recess when the bars are advanced, a spring controlled cam actuated gripper on said transfer device for holding the blank in its centered position and means for actuating said transfer device to advance the blank transversely of said table. I 1o 9. In a machine of the class described, the

combination .with a blank transfer device v having stops formed thereon, of a slotted t'able having a blank centering pocket formed in one end there )f, means slidably engaged in said table for engaging and advancmg a blank over said table into said centering pocket and into contact with the stops formed on said transfer device. v 10. In a machine ofthe class described,

I the combination with a transfer device having stops formed thereon, of a slottedtable having ablank receiving pocket formed in one end thereof, a blank holding magazine supported on said table, feed bars slidable in the slots of said table, roller meansfor delivering a blank from said magazine, and camcontrolled means for operating said feed bars to cause the same to push the blank over said table into said centering pocket onto said so transfer device in contact with the stops formed thereon. I

11. In a machine of the classdescribed, the combination with a blank transfer device, of a table, a blank holding magazine supported as onsaid table, means for delivering a blank from said magazine onto said table, and means slidably interfitting said table and shaped to complementally fit the different edges of a blank and move the same into a centered position on said transfer device.

" 12. A blank feeding machine com rising a blank holding magazine, a slotte table mounted therebeneath and having a centering recess in one end thereof, roller means for removing a blank from said magazine and par-' Illinois;

tially advancing'the same over said table, aplurality of feed bars slidably engaged in said table, andmeans for simultaneously OP, crating said feed bars to cause thesame to no engagethe advanced blank and deliver the same over said table into said centering recess.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook 'County,

- "GESARE' BARBIERI. 

